Tag: Christmas

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55, 65 and 80

There was a great story in yesterday’s Province Newspaper about Zoe and Bob Longshaw.  They’ve been married 65 years and the story of their relationship reads like a slice of history.  It’s a great story and I’ve linked it here.

It reminded me of another couple I know who’ve been married over 50 years…I think 55 this September if my memory serves.  (If it doesn’t I’m sure my sisters will correct me in short order.)  Their names are Jake and Leona Friesen…aka my Mom and Dad.

They were down over Christmas and I had shot some video at Blackie Spit which I had written about at that time, but only put the video clips into a little movie this weekend.

The occasion?  A bit of Valentine’s Day and a bit of a birthday…an 80th birthday to be exact.

DAD….HAPPY BIRTHDAY FOR FEB 16!

MOM AND DAD…HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!

You’ve given your family and so many others a great example of long-lasting relationships.

As has been said many times here, Max and Chris LOVED going to Grandma and Grandpa’s.  We are so thankful for all the fantastic memories together.

So with that quick intro, here’s a little peek at a relationship that has stood the test of time.

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Be The Best.

Rev. Jake on Comfort

The latest installment by Rev Jake (aka my Dad and Chris’ Grandpa).

Without further ado.

———

The COMFORT word:

Harking back to December and Christmas themes, I was impressed with several applications of the COMFORT word.

In the carol, ‘God rest ye merry gentlemen’ the chorus keeps repeating, ‘Tidings of COMFORT and joy’

The opening statement of Handel’s Messiah is ‘COMFORT ye my people, says your God’

There is the Advent story of an old man Simeon (Luke 2) who it is said was ‘waiting for the CONSOLATION of Israel’

On this side of heaven, because of human transgression and its consequences, invariably there are elements of sadness and sorrow in all of our lives, for which we need comfort.

The fragility of life may show up in health concerns, issues of aging; or people can become victims of violence, abuse, and even wars.

We might experience the loss of relationships, and the loss of loved ones.

The little child is covered with a Comforter blanket, which may provide a measure of security.

God Himself is our eventual Comforter, providing the final answer to all of our physical and relational needs, and preparing a new body for His children when the present edition wears out. God the Comforter also provides the only reliable revelation about a meeting time for loved ones who have been separated down here.

I take comfort in the message of COMFORT from the divine Comforter; He knows how much we are in need of His ministrations!

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Be The Best.

It’s the moments…

Life isn’t a matter of milestones, but of moments.

Interesting.

I thought the curved wall going downstairs was a little bare.  I mumbled something to Ingrid about wouldn’t it be cool to have a saying written in text on the wall for something different.

Within a few weeks she had researched, ordered and received this vinyl lettering and most importantly picked out this phrase which I hadn’t seen until it went up on the wall.

I love it.  I think about it every time I head downstairs.

Are milestones important?  Birthdays? Yes. Anniversaries? Yes. Other stuff? (you know what I’m talking about…) Yes.

But really, what’s most important?  It truly is the moments.

As we look back at all of our very treasured memories with Chris and Max as they grew up, so many of the amazing times were simply moments that happened!  Whether it was a three year old Chris climbing a ladder to see his Dad on the roof (true), or the moments of victory at a lacrosse game or the fun and silly times of picking out a Christmas tree, those moments are like gold.

The one thing you need to make moments happen is time.

I remember as young father thinking about how many Dads didn’t get to know their kids because they were so busy or work schedules that were hard to control etc etc.

I am a very busy Dude, but family was ALWAYS first.  Therefore, we made sure we had THOUSANDS of moments.

Those moments are what continue to feed us and help us on our way.

As I was watching that Disneyland video last night I was getting choked up myself.  Those moments were so pure, poignant and unanticipated.  I think that is truly what makes them special.

Anyhoo…another smart decision by that good wife of mine!

Rock your weekend.

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Be The Best.

Happy Birthday Chris!

So many people have told us or emailed us about how they thought of us over Christmas.

I know so many more think of us often and are thinking of us now as we mark what would have been Chris’ 18th birthday tomorrow even if they don’t or can’t tell us.

We are exactly the same way.

We’ve been following the story of the Berg family in Mission and Gillian Berg’s amazing strength and very real highs and lows as she takes care of her family and slowly moves forward with each day.

You can follow and support with your thoughts and prayers through: http://gillianb-journeying.blogspot.com/

The reason I say we are the same is that our hearts go out to Gillian and her family, but we don’t know them personally.  Our thoughts and prayers are with them, but we haven’t verbalized that to them.  For now we will support by reading, caring and praying.  Just as we’ve done, she can see by the blog views how so many people are supporting them.

We know that’s what people do for us all the time.

As we approach Chris’ birthday tomorrow, we don’t have any big public events happening.  A few of his school buds will drop by.  As a family, we’ll head to our favourite steakhouse for a big steak dinner and piece of ice cream cake.  Chris was a fitness and health food fanatic, but he would eat steak and ice cream cake…and we’ll have some in his honour tomorrow night.

So the question is always, what can I do?  What should I do?  I don’t know them very well, or even if I do, I’m not sure what to do.

Here’s the solution.

We’d ask everyone who reads this blog to do some little thing in honour of Chris tomorrow.

Here’s a few ideas.

1. push-ups – even doing one or two in his name would be cool

2. make a toast when you have dinner

3. hug your kids

4. hug your parents

5. eat some yogurt (he would eat probably 4-6 per day)

6. wish him a happy birthday verbally

7. cook some eggs (yep…he ate a LOT of eggs)

There’s a few ways.

I’m sure you can think of more.

Drop us a comment if you want to share.

If you don’t, we totally get it and we want to say thank you for the continued support.

Randy, Ingrid and Max.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRIS!!

 

Jan 09 - Chris turns 16.

 

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Guest blog – Rev Jake..aka Grandpa

I’ve asked my Dad if he wanted to jot a few thoughts down for the blog from time to time.  I think it’s a beautiful tribute to his grandson and Faith in general.  Keep rockin it Dad!  Heavy…and good.  Thanks.

————–

Unspeakable! This word occurs only three times in the New Testament, and could also be rendered as indescribable (NKJ), or inexpressible.

I was thinking of this word as I thought of Chris.

All of the words spoken or sung or written since that dark day of March 25, 2010 cannot adequately express what is in our hearts: there is something inexpressible here.

The raw emotions, the feelings, the conflicting thoughts cry out for resolution, but there is no resolution.

The thoughts of our hearts end with questions rather than periods; they are questions that have no answers.

The trauma of all that happened has left us dangling in space.

We are on the wrong side of the door of a mystery, of something inexpressible.

A human life is inexpressible.

Chris’s life was and is inexpressible.

The Christ-gift that came at Christmas is declared to be God’s unspeakable gift.

(2 Corinthians 9: 15)

This Christ, the ultimate Creator of life, declares all of our lives invaluable.

The Christ presides over Chris’ life even now, in a divine continuum, even while we mourn Chris’ departure from us.

The indescribable Christ weeps with us now in our pain, and desires to lead us through the valley of the shadow until we too shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

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Be The Best.

Chips, Cancer and Christmas Trees

The Township of Langley was contracting to Field’s Tree Services to do some work near our house this week.

I talked to the crew and they mentioned they were having a Christmas Tree chipping event this weekend at Langley’s Willowbrook Mall. (Jan 8 and 9, 9am-3pm)

All the proceeds from this location are going to cancer research through the Canadian Cancer Society.

I don’t know the story, but these things are usually personal as so many of our families are hit by cancer.

So…instead of throwing your tree along the freeway this year…you’ve got a great alternative!!

That’s Be The Best…tree chipping style.

Click for all details from Township page.

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Be The Best.

Resting during flight.

Although the winter weather is pounding eastern Canada and the US, the upper west coast of North America has been relatively mild…so far.  With a few absolutely spectacular days in Vancouver over the Christmas break, it was a great opportunity to get out to Blackie Spit for a walk.

I’ve posted a previous blog about this place, adjacent to Crescent Beach, and if you can find the time to grab a coffee or tea and head out for a walk, this is an amazing place.  Don’t forget your camera.

My Mom loves the ocean and with my Mom and Dad down for a few days over Christmas, this was a great mini trip here in the Lower Mainland.

Take a look at the words on the sign. 

‘Imagine this oasis if you were resting during flight.’

Blackie Spit is the home to over 200 species of birds on their migratory routes in fall and spring.

I thought those were interesting words as I reflected on our journey on the new normal pathway and the need to rest during flight.

In many ways, I think that’s what the holidays are supposed to be about. A rest. Not a final place, but a pit-stop along the way. A chance to reflect, eat a whole lot, relax a bit and then get ready to fly again.

I love that last line as well, ‘as you wonder at its beauty, enjoy the sights and sounds; make sure to breathe the salty breeze the wind whips around’.

Two points.

First point: Not sure when the Surrey Parks Board or a Nature Society began to hire poets to write their sign info, but I like it!!

Second point: Resting during flight and feeling the salty breeze that the wind whips around is really great advice.

Burnaby towers under the North Shore Mountains
Mom and Dad on a little walk.
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Be The Best.

The circle of life…I mean gingerbread.

Ethan eats gingerbread, Max eats Ethan.

Do you really need an explanation?

It’s the circle of life.  The smaller species eats gingerbread, which in turn becomes prey for the larger cousin…I mean species.

Ok, there was a bit of encouragement from the part of the photographer, but I love this pic.

Ingrid had a great idea that we’d have teams building gingerbread houses.  What could go wrong?

Editorial comment:  We tried this once with our Marketing group at BCIT.  Wow.  One group built a gingerbread brothel…but I digress.  Ladies of the evening built out of gingerbread…yah, what could go wrong indeed!? (excellent creative skills…just need some guidance from time to time…) 😉

We had no such incidents at our most recent building event.

These were great houses and Ethan and Max built the one you see above.

It was a fun way to add a positive memory and experience to our Christmas gathering.

That wife of mine…always the good ideas!

As the calendar flies so quickly away from Christmas into the New Year, these houses will become a fun memory of Christmas 2010.

We couldn’t go a minute without thinking of Chris.  He would have loved this event too and probably somehow worked a lacrosse theme into his gingerbread house.

The new normal includes great memories of the past with Chris and everyone else and new experiences too…maybe that IS the circle of life after all.

Gingerbread Street.
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Vince Gill, friends and the bigger family.

I had heard this Vince Gill song a bunch of times.

In fact I think we own the Vince Gill Christmas CD.

Only thing was, aside from the chorus, I hadn’t really ever listened to the words.

I received an email from someone thinking about us with the song attached.

I listened intently and then looked up the lyrics which I’ve put in below.

Vince Gill is an amazing artist.

His voice is full of feeling, emotion and passion.

When I understood what the song was actually about, it was that much more powerful.

Yes…Christmas is all about family and I love the last line as well.

We’re all part of a bigger family…he states, ‘we’re all children of the King of Kings’.

What I’ve loved (really!), so much about the past 9 months is people reaching out to us from all walks of life.  All religious backgrounds.  All cultures.

When you look at the big picture, we, as in the human race, are all brothers and sisters and truly children of the King of Kings.

Has Christmas been easy?

Nope.

Has knowing that we are connected to a bigger family, literally and figuratively, helped us?

Yup.

Here’s those lyrics.

———————–

It Won’t Be The Same This Year – Vince Gill

It’s time to pack our bags and hit the highway,
And head on out for Christmas holiday,
I’ll fall apart when I pull in the driveway,
It’s my first time home since brother passed away,
His favorite time of year was always Christmas,
We’ll reminisce about the days gone by,
Oh how I wish that he was still here with us,
My memories with him will never die,
(Bridge)

But when the stockings are hung,
And silent night has been sung,
And Christmas is finally here,
It won’t be the same this year,

Losing my big brother hurt so badly,
It’s help me learn what Christmas really means,
There’s nothing more important than your family,
We’re all the children of the King of Kings,
(Bridge)

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Winning the lotto with stockings.

Four soldiers stand guard over the stockings.

We were left with another decision a couple of weeks ago. Do we put out three stockings or four?

We decided on four and have also decided that we will put out four stockings for as many Christmases we have in our future.  That’s the way it’s gonna be!

The BC Lottery Corp has run a little campaign this season encouraging people to not give lottery tickets as gifts to underage (under 19) children.  Oops.  That’s been a family tradition for as many years as I can remember.

You know, a family that gambles together stays together.

Editorial comment:  The preceding sentence was mild sarcastic humour.  We don’t have a gambling problem.  We could quit any time…we just don’t want to right now.

Serious editorial comment:  I know gambling is a serious issue.  Just stick with me for this piece.

Anyhoo…each Christmas, ‘Santa’ would throw in a few scratch and wins into the stockings.  It was a little bit of fun and became this tradition.

I was at the grocery store a few days before Christmas and bought 3 sets of scratch and wins.  It felt wrong, so I added a fourth. They went in Chris’ stocking along with some m&m’s and a lacrosse magazine.

Now, a great alternate ending to this blog would be to say those fourth set of tickets won $4 million dollars and we added to Chris’ fund etc etc…but the ending is mainly similar to the real life story of the lottery business.  99% of tickets lose…just don’t talk about that part.

We had fun scratching the tickets and ‘won’ back about 80% of the ‘investment’ into the tickets.

I call that an entertainment expense…and yes, the ‘proceeds’ will go to Chris’ fund.

Those stockings have been with us a long time.  Ingrid made them when the boys were very young.  Hers has the lace bit on top to set it apart.  All of them have our names on them, Christian, Mackenzie, Mommy and Daddy.

That’s how long they’ve been in our family and as I walked by them every day for the past weeks I was so happy that there were four.

That’s the way it should be.